Mockingjay and The Dark Knight
by LoneRanger19
Summary: Set in an Medieval AU. Princess Katniss is one of 8 siblings in the 12th Kingdom. Here she meets hunters, bakers, and knights. She has adventure, romance, and everything a princess could ask for. But behind the perfect life she has, a dark presence is lurking. OOC, OC, hints of fantasy. Everlark, Gadge, and other pairing. M for Language and potential mature themes.


**A/N: Hey everyone! This is my new Hunger Games Fanfiction. The idea came to me one day and I decided to roll with it. Unlike my other story that has shorter chapters I decided to go with longer chapters in this story. This story is 3 Parts. And its based in medievalesque setting with a touch of fantasy. Granted a lot of the OOC in the beginning. While writing each chapter I will listen to a different fantasy medieval music on YouTube. I decided to post the link of each song for each chapter on my profile. Anyhow on to the chapter.**

 **Also, I don't own Hunger Games, I am just borrowing the characters.**

 **Warning: Coarse Language.**

 **A/N**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

It was dark, there were so many clouds that the forest around her looked like it would at night. There was the hooting of an owl, she could hear it clearly. The rustling of leaves from different creatures moving about in the forest. She had to move, it felt wrong being in one place without moving. She looked around to find an exit from this dark forest. As she spun around she didn't find any, but then all of a sudden, a man appeared. He was dressed in a dark tunic with even darker pants. His boots reached just under his knees and were made of leather. She was both afraid and yet drawn to the man. She couldn't see his face, even when she squinted she couldn't. He beckoned her to follow him, and even though she was partially terrified, she also wanted to see where he would take her. She loved adventure. She tried to take the first step, but she couldn't. Something was holding her back. She needed to see what the strange man wanted to show her. Yet every attempt to move her feet was met with resistance. The man now was gesturing more urgently to follow him. He needed to show her something. He became desperate, now he was almost pleading to her to listen, and no matter how sincere he sounded or how urgent his cries were, she couldn't do anything. Finally, she was able to move after great exertion. He ran, and she chased after him. Twisting and turning they had finally stopped in front of a magnificent tree. It could have been oak or maybe even a siwak tree. The leaves beautiful and rich with different colors. The area was brightened by the tree and yet despite it, the man still remained shadowed. He then went behind the tree and motioned for her to follow. She did, and as she reached behind the tree she saw it. Fire! A huge blaze of fire, the flames were almost licking the sky, which made it more amazing that the tree was unaffected. The man stood in front of the fire then looked at her.

' _Was he crazy'_ She though. Did he actually expect her to enter the fire? She found herself staring at him trying to figure out who he was. The harder she focused on him the more difficult it became. Then all of a sudden, the shadow figure stopped moving. He looked like a deer that sensed a predator nearby. Even with the fire there was absence of sound. Not even the crackling of fire made a noise, but before she could comment on it another man surfaced. He was dressed in white, with golden hair and a golden staff. The shadow figure was terrified and ran away. She looked back at the man in white and even though she thought he was her savior from the fire, she felt fear as he approached her. The man reached out with his and as he was about to grab her…

* * *

Katniss's eyes shot open. A dream, that's all it was, a dream.

She propped herself up on her bed and wiped the sweat that was covering her forehead. This wasn't the first time she had that dream, only this time she saw that new character. The man in white. Who was he? She wanted to stay in bed all day to figure out who were the two men in her dream and what the deal was about the fire. However today she couldn't. Today was the day she would go to the woods and hunt with her friend Gale. She looked outside her window and realized she had a few hours before dawn. She removed her blanket and slipped on her rabbit skin slippers. She tiptoed to her door in order to avoid waking up her hand maiden Effie. Effie would find it very unladylike if she knew where Katniss was about to go. She stepped into the room adjacent to her bed chambers where she kept her clothes. She pushed aside her dresses that were hanging and on the wooden shelf there was a green cloth that covered her hunting clothes. She had loose brown trousers made especially for her from her tailor Cinna. Along with the trousers Cinna made her a dark green shirt, embroidered with a golden oak tree in the front of her shirt. She grabbed the leather waist belt that had a silver bird on the clasp to complete her outfit. Before leaving she grabbed the last article for her hunting trip, knee high leather hunting boots with reinforced padded soles. She checked herself in the ornate mirror in the room and was content with her look. She grabbed her olive green hooded cloak that had her family emblem on the clasp, a golden lion. When she put it on, her cloak came down to her ankles and with the hood covering most of her face, she was nearly unrecognizable.

' _Perfect!'_ She thought.

She slipped out the room and could still hear the heavy breathing of her hand maiden Effie. Effie had been her hand maiden since birth she was told. Effie was like an over protective second mother. She was known for having eccentric hair styles and a peculiar high accent because she came from another land. Katniss slipped out of the room and tiptoed down the halls of the castle. She quickly skipped passed the rooms of her siblings and down to the pantry where she prepared some food last night for today's hunting trip. On the counter in the pantry was her deerskin flask filled with water and another satchel with bread, cheese, fruits, and a piece of previous dinner, roast boar. Grabbing both bags she took one of the secret passages she knew out of the castle. When she reached the front gate, she noticed that the guards were still there. Cursing she ran to the back of the courtyard where they stocked the wood for the nightly fires. She looked around to make sure no one was watching this was the lowest point of the wall. She quickly climbed up the wooden logs and grabbed the ledge of the wall. Lucky for her there was tree close enough for her to reach for. Grabbing the closest branch, she managed to climb down the tree. Happy with her efforts, she was about to leave when she was stopped by a voice,

"Where ya going sweetheart?"

"Shit!" Katniss cursed.

Leaning against the tree was an older man possibly in his mid fifties, he had sword strapped to his side and was dressed in a brown leather tunic reinforced in the front and his shoulders. His buttons were a dull gold and his pants were also a dark brown loose leather as well. His boots were folded at the tops so that it came up to his shin. He had two daggers attached to his belt and he had armoured shin guards on each of his forearms. His long blonde hair was messy, and his eyes were piercing gray. Unlike most older men who let themselves go, this man however was quite the opposite, he was a man who knew that he lost a step with age but gained so much more with his experience and determination to stay fit. This was her personal guard, Haymitch.

"Mind your language, sweetheart. A princess could get in trouble for using such foul words. And where exactly are you heading off to so early this bloody day."

Haymitch grumbled. He was not a morning person that was for sure. He reached to his belt and grabbed his leather flask. Pulling the cork, he took a big gulp of his mead. Despite never being sober, Haymitch was considered to be one of the most dangerous swordsman in the nation. When he was younger it was said that he was in these games were men had to fight for their freedom. He fought and killed fifty men before earning his freedom. He then joined the knights of the kingdom and then became Katniss's personal guard upon her birth. He constantly berated her with mean names and was always in a state of grumpiness. Yet beneath all that was a man who would fight an army for her.

"Damn you Haymitch! What is it you want? I am going hunting with my friend Gale. We are going into the forest to catch some game."

Katniss hated explaining herself to him. Unlike most people who tiptoed around her because she was a princess, Haymitch often referred to her as a brat. It was both refreshing and annoying.

"Missy, why the hell would you go hunting. You do not belong in the forest."

Haymitch had a stare down with the young princess. Her gray eyes were staring him down. She was stubborn, and unlike her other siblings with the exception of her younger sister. Haymitch sighed, he knew that the second he escorted her in back to the castle she would escape. Besides he knew Gale, the young man was a responsible, and an excellent hunter. Heck if he was being honest, most of meat that the castle got was from Gale's daily hunting. Besides Katniss was the least ladylike princess he ever saw. She was quite the tomboy. Haymitch gritted his teeth, he would allow her to go and follow her from a safe distance. He turned to Katniss and started,

"Alright princes, you can go on one condi…"

When he turned to her, she was gone. While he was debating about what to do, she slipped away. The King is going to kill him if he finds out that Haymitch allowed the princess to hunt in the forest.

"Son of a Bitch!" Haymitch yelled. He stomped towards the forest to find that elusive girl.

* * *

Katniss quickly sped through the forest, she had to get away from Haymitch quickly. She glanced back and didn't see Haymitch following her, she then slowed down and began to enjoy the environment around her. She loved the forest, the greenery, the fresh woody smell, and the sounds the woodland creatures all put a smile to her face. She was so happy that she could sing. Just when she was about to let out a tune she heard a voice from above,

"Where are you heading to Catnip?"

Katniss was conflicted between smiling and frowning. She looked up to see a young man dressed in a dark green shirt with a hood sown on. His pants matched the color of the thick brown trunk he was leaning against. His boots were padded leather and reached his shins. Strapped to his back was a quiver filled with arrows. He also had two large hunting knives attached to the light brown belt around his wait. The young man leapt off the branch and landed softly next to Katniss. He stood over six feet tall and was quite muscular for someone who was wiry in figure. His dark hair framed his face nicely as his dark eyes sharp features made him visibly attractive. He had a mischievous smirk that constantly annoyed Katniss.

"Argh Gale! I told you not to call me that. It's Katniss not Catnip. Also, what are you doing on a branch?" Katniss scowled with her hands on her hips. Gale smiled and began to walk into the forest. A few paces in he beckoned her to follow him before replying.

"Well, _Princess Catnip_ , to answer your question. Firstly, you are late, and I'm not saying that I was worried, because I am not, but you made the promise of bringing breakfast had me worried. After all, getting a royal breakfast is too good of an offer to refuse. And secondly why lean heroically on a nice tree in this forest? Well because I am showman and love to impress."

Katniss shook her head. Why she was friends with this silly man she would never know. They continued to walk further into the forest where Gale kept his snares. As he was checking them he showed Katniss how to make snares, and how setting them at appropriate distances will allow more rabbits to be caught. As they checked the snares and collected the rabbits he showed her how to tie the eight rabbits together so that they would be easier to carry. As they continued into the forest, found a flock of grooslings, a small bird very similar to a turkey. These were exceptionally tasty birds that the royal family loved. Gale took his bow and nocked an arrow, concentrating he let out a breath before letting the arrow fly. Without waiting for confirmation drew a second arrow and let it fly and finally a third one. Katniss was impressed as all three arrows reached their marks and as the rest of the flock escaped, there were three dead grooslings laying there.

"Impressive!" Katniss breathed.

"I know right!" Gale comically puffed his chest as he went for the grooslings. Looking at his pull for the day. "Alright, that's enough hunting for the morning, let's have breakfast and head into town. I know a place where we can enjoy our breakfast."

They continued to trek into the forest sharing pleasantries. He told her about his daily routine of hunting and trading in the market. He had hopes to become a lord in the future. She told him about life without her little sister Prim. Prim was the youngest of 8 children of King Rayner and Queen Aenora. Katniss was the 7th child and 4 years older than Prim. The king had 5 daughters and 3 sons. The eldest Prince Guile is expected to take the throne soon as the king himself is looking to step down soon. Katniss was not very close to her siblings, with the exception of Prim. The difficult part was that Prim had left to the Healers tower in the Fourth Kingdom. There were 12 kingdoms in the land of Panem. Each had their own rulers governing them. For the most part there was no animosity between the kingdoms, yet now and again sometimes confrontations do occur.

They continued to chat until they reach the top of cliff overlooking a lake. The grass under them was lush green and soft. They sat down on the grass and took out their breakfast.

"Oooh look at the feast the princess brought," teased Gale as he reached for the bread and cheese. His hand was playfully swatted away by Katniss.

"Get your own food Hawthorne" She exclaimed. He sat there pouting at her like a little boy. She tried to frown but a smile crept through as she casually passed him the bread and meat.

"Thanks!" He grinned like a Cheshire cat as stuffed his face to which Katniss rolled her eyes.

As they continued to eat, Katniss thought of an idea.

"You know, the games are soon. You should compete!" Katniss exclaimed.

"The games?" Gale questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, the games occur every year and there are series of competitions, the person who wins them becomes an official lord of the kingdom and gets their own estate. This can be your chance to become a Lord and woo a special Lady like _Madge._ " She answered with a giggle in the end.

Gale snorted, he knew he never should have told her about the crush he had on Lady Madge. Lady Madge was the single most beautiful woman he laid eyes on. She had golden hair and purple eyes and the body that made men faint. She was clearly out of his league and yet every night he dreams about her. He thought about these games. He knew about the games, he needed a partner to compete and generally no one would team up with him. Except maybe one guy…

"Snap out of it Gale" Katniss called to Gale to get him out of his thoughts and stop blushing. She loved the fact that she could tease him about Madge. She remembered the first time she saw Gale ogling at Madge, he fell off a building ledge because he was so enraptured by her. It was one of the earlier interactions between Katniss and Gale.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _Katniss was excited, her friend Madge was coming to visit and that meant they would have a good time. Madge was a lady from the outskirts of the 12_ _th_ _Kingdom. Her father was responsible for the finance of the Kingdom and was very close to Katniss's father, the King. Katniss, Prim, Clove, and Madge would often play with each other when they were children. Granted now Princess Clove kept to herself more often now. Katniss was happy that they could spend time with each other. She grabbed her royal cloak and sped off to go greet Madge in the town square. From there they would explore the town with Haymitch and Effie close by._

 _Katniss had reached the square before Madge had arrived, so she waited with Effie who was complaining to Haymitch about the incessant heat to which he was ignoring. She looked around and saw that there were many people waiting for the Lady Madge to appear. Katniss was about to ask Haymitch a question when she saw him. Gale. He was on the rooftop with a bow slung on his back. She only interacted with him a few times when he brought meat to the castle. He was annoyingly charming and despite not wanting to admit it, they were becoming friends. The problem was he constantly teased her. Whether it was calling her Catnip, making fun of the way she spoke or any other stupid mistake she made, he always seemed to be there to see it. Her little sister Prim used to tease her about having a crush on Gale. She was wrong, Gale was more like an annoying older brother like Prince Marvel. There were no romantic feelings towards him at all._

" _Oh, look Princess Katniss! Here comes Lady Madge!" Exclaimed Effie, clapping her hands enthusiastically._

" _Bout damn time." Grumbled Haymitch as he took a swig of the drink from his flask._

" _Manners Haymitch! That is a lady not a commoner." Exclaimed Effie as she slapped man on the shoulder._

" _Don't hit me sweetheart." Growled Haymitch._

" _I will hit you as often as you deserve it, now don't call me sweetheart!" Effie retorted._

 _Katniss couldn't help but smile. They were always bickering like an old married couple. She looked up and saw the small procession arrive. Madge as usual came with two guards at either side of the coach that she was sitting in. Her coach was elegant yet simple. It was green and silver in color with a single white horse drawing it and a single coach man as well. When Madge stepped out of the coach every man stared, even the grumpy, grizzly Haymitch let out a low whistle in appreciation. Again, much to Effie's annoyance who slapped him on the back of the head. Madge was the ideal girl. She was tall, with long legs and a perfect curvaceous body. Her golden hair was braided elaborately and what stood out the most was her eyes. Madge was known for having purple eyes. They literally stunned anyone who saw them. As Madge stepped off the coach she made eye contact with Katniss and a huge smile appeared as she rushed to her best friend._

" _Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssss!" Madge leapt into Katniss's arms and they began hugging and giggling in the town square. Madge immediately peppered Katniss with a million questions,_

" _Oh my God, you look amazing Kat. Where did you get this dress? I love it. How is Prim, last we spoke she mentioned how she wanted to become a healer. Is Princess Clove still moody? My God, she needs to lighten up. Hey its Effie! How are Effie? I missed you soooooooooooo much."_

 _Effie hugged Madge and soon enough all three ladies were engaged in a complicated three-way conversation._

 _Haymitch grumbled as he let out a small smile. He nodded towards the travelling guards, they were no longer responsible for the girl. The men climbed back on their horses and headed into town for a meal and rest. They would stay in town till late evening and then bring Madge back to her home._

 _Meanwhile Katniss and Madge were catching up on all that they missed. As they continued to chat Katniss noticed that a certain rooftop archer following them to get a good eye on the lady. Katniss smiled, she knew how she wanted to mess with Gale. Whispering in Madge's ear, Madge giggled before nodding._

" _Oh, this will be so much fun." She clapped her hands excitedly. They continued to stroll about in town with Gale following on the rooftops._

 _He was cautious not to be seen by Katniss's guard Haymitch, as Haymitch would slice his bits off if he caught Gale stalking the two young women. He stopped as the two girls stopped walking a few paces ahead of him. He was on a low rooftop so if he stood on the edge of the building trying to hear what they were talking about. Then all of a sudden Lady Madge turned around and made eye contact with him. She smiled then winked. She was the most beautiful woman he ever saw, it was like staring at an angel. He was stunned by the wink, but it didn't stop there as she blew him a kiss before turning back to Princess Katniss and began walking away with a slight sway in her hips. Gale was so enraptured he didn't realize that he was on the edge and as a result he fell off the roof, thankfully into a pile of hay. He shook his head and as he was about to get up, he felt the cold steel on his throat and a second blade against his crotch area. He then heard a voice,_

" _Boy, next time I catch you drooling after those girls, I'll slice your bits and feed them to the dogs, do you understand?" Gale nodded as Haymitch stood before him. He knew never to mess with Haymitch as Haymitch was a legend of a fighter. He immediately began to apologize,_

" _My sincerest apologies, will not happen again I promise, I truly regret my actions." As Gale scrambled up to leave he saw Katniss watching with a twinkling in her eyes and a smirk. She had played him bad. He didn't have time to compliment her on her excellent prank, as he needed to escape Haymitch, as he left he heard the giggling from the girls that brought a smile to his face._

 _End of Flashback_

* * *

"Maybe I will compete," declared Gale confidently.

They quickly thereafter finished their breakfast and began their trek back towards town. They had a significant amount of game and Gale didn't need anymore. He did however check some other snares he set and pulled a few more plump rabbits from them. He set those aside from the others as he would sell them in town. They were about to continue when they heard a twig snap. Gale beckoned Katniss to stand behind him and motioned her to be very quiet. As he scanned around him, he finally saw the source of the noise. A young brown stag was roaming the forest and hadn't noticed the two young individuals not far from him. Gale was silently pleased, this stag was a little less than 30 yards away, an ideal distance. Drawing and arrow he aimed at his target, there was a natural pause in the air before Gale let the arrow fly piercing the stag in the neck. He quickly made his way over to the fallen animal he quickly pulled out his hunting knife to deal the final blow. It was a quick and merciful task. Cleaning his blade, he turned to Katniss who was a little shocked to see the whole process.

"It's such a beautiful creature, did we have to kill it?" Katniss whispered.

Gale smiled and answered as he began tying up the deer.

"Well Katniss, if it was a female deer then I probably wouldn't have gone for it. Also, these animals can feed a lot of people. I never hunt for sport, I hunt so that I can feed the people and provide for the royal family. Remember everything in moderation."

Katniss nodded, she wasn't a child. She understood how life worked, it was just difficult to see a creature that beautiful die. She didn't have much time to dwell on the fact as Gale handed her the numerous rabbits they caught and the three birds. Because the stag was so large Gale had to carry the dead animal himself. They continued this way for less than an hour until they reached their destination.

The 12th Kingdom was actually one of the smaller kingdoms in Panem. Despite being one of the first ones created they only had the castle, the Victors Villas where the lords and ladies lived. Katniss's close friend Delly lived there. Next to the Villas was the merchants district followed by the Hob, a black-market trading area and finally Seam, where the general population lived. Unlike other kingdoms like the 2nd kingdom or the 4th kingdom, the 12th kingdom did not have an army. They did however have highly trained knights. These knights lived in their own special homes in the Victors Villas. There were about 100 knights. The elite 20 served as advisors for Katniss's father, and some of them served as personal guards to the royal family like Haymitch. The 12th kingdom also had one other distinction. Despite being royalty, the social gap was not as harsh between the classes as other districts. The King himself would often be seen enjoying a meal in merchant's district. Katniss had friends who weren't upper class.

Katniss and Gale reached the merchants district and as they said hello to countless of people, many of who did not recognize Katniss in her hunting clothes. Normally she would be in a dress, along with a tiara signifying that she was royalty. They finally made their way to the butcher house where they met with Bannock. He was a grizzly man who was missing a few fingers. He was a towering large man, with a thick mustache. His hair was always scruffy, and his rounded cheeks were always red. Despite being such a large intimidating man, he was actually quite sweet.

"Hellooooooo! Welcome to Bannock's Butchers House Gale, it seems that you have a huge delivery today."

Bannock smiled as Gale placed the deer on the large counter between them.

"I have six rabbits, three grooslings, and a stag. All of them fresh from today."

Gale replied as he continued to place the rest of the game down. Bannock checked the meat before nodding and reaching down under the counter and pulling up a small pouch. He emptied it and counted pieces of copper coins and a silver coin as well. Paying Gale his fee Bannock immediately took the haul to the back of the shop where he began cleaning the meat. Gale beckoned Katniss to follow him outside where he took the remaining six rabbits with him.

"What are you doing with those?" Katniss asked.

Gale smiled,

"Well two I will keep and the rest, well you will see," he replied.

They made their way to the other side of the merchant district where they were greeted with the smell of freshly baked goods. It was a combination of sweet pastries and freshly baked breads. Katniss loved the smell. Her favorite was cheese buns which she made her father get regularly.

"I have an arrangement with the baker boy, he gives me different breads and I get him rabbits which he loves. He is a nice guy and we are pretty close friends." Gale explained as they approached the bakery. There were different pastries lined up against the window and a small red sign that read _Mellarks Bakery_. As they opened the door a bell chimed and along with the savoury smell of fresh breads that greeted them, a young man approached the counter from the back room. Katniss couldn't help herself as she observed him. He stood around six feet tall, a little shorter than Gale, but what he lost in height in more than made up in muscular frame. He had broad shoulders, wide chest and strong arms. Where Gale had a wiry muscular frame to him, this young man was more compact. He wasn't overly muscular like the men who carry crates for her father. Those men had no necks and couldn't even touch their shoulders with the amount of excessive muscles they had. This young man still had fluidity in his movements. His hair was also a golden yellow color similar to that of Madge, his hair was long and curly and had an adorable messy look to it. Katniss also noticed that he had a boyish look to him as his face was clean shaved. Of all the things Katniss noticed about him, the one that caught her attention was his eyes. Many people in the kingdom had blue eyes. However, unlike others, this man's eyes were deep blue, sapphire blue. She had seen these eyes before she knew she had. She was about to ask him if they met but was interrupted.

"Hey Gale, I see that you have some rabbits for me. Let me go to the back and get you some freshly baked goods." The young man cheerfully said as he wiped his hands that were covered in flour with the towel in front of him and went to the back. Gale called out after him,

"Listen Peet, I need a favour from you after you get the bread."

"Peet?" Katniss asked.

"Actually, its Peeta, Peeta Mellark. He is the adopted son of Eric Mellark who died a year ago." Gale corrected.

Katniss nodded and continued to think back. She knew that she had seen him before. There was no doubt of that, but where? She continued to dwell on it as Peeta returned with a large bag with bread.

"I have two plain loaves, one rye, and 6 small anpan breads stuffed with jam. I think that's a fair deal, now what's the favour you need brother?"

Peeta smiled as he passed the bag to Gale, who thanked him. To an outsider the trade seemed unfair, but Peeta and Gale had an agreement, where Peeta would 'overpay' for the meat that was brought by Gale, but Gale would get him herbs and fruits from the forest for free. This arrangement worked in both their favors and their friendship grew as a result. Gale took a deep breath before asking.

"The games are coming up, and I know that you don't like them, but I want to try my hand at becoming a lord. I think it'll be good for my family and I need a partner and you are the only person I trust."

Peeta's smile faltered a little before he replied,

"Gale, you know I'm not that into the games."

"I know. But this is an opportunity for me that I can't let pass. At least tell me you will think about it." Gale persisted.

Peeta paused for a bit before cutting a glance at the pretty girl that was with Gale. He knew who she was. He remembered her from years ago, he definitely didn't expect her to be in his bakery, and with Gale to boot. Maybe that's why Gale wanted to become a lord. It would mean that they were a couple and that the only way they could make it legitimate was for him to become a lord.

"Not her. _Gladiolus_ " Gale's words cut through Peeta's thoughts. Gale knew about the story between Katniss and Peeta even though apparently Katniss forgot.

Peeta smiled. Gladiolus was the purple flower that represented the Lady Madge. He knew how much Gale pined after her.

"Give me some time to think about it." Peeta resigned. Gale gave a huge grin as he clasped Peeta on the shoulder.

"Thanks brother, I owe you one."

With that Gale and Katniss were about to leave before Peeta's voice rang out again.

"Wait!"

He reached in back room and brought a small bag with two small buns.

"For the Lady." He offered.

"I can't take this, we did not pay for it." Katniss tried to refuse.

"A princess entering my humble bakery is payment enough." Peeta smiled with a wink.

Katniss tried to stop her cheeks from turning red and graciously thanked Peeta for the offer. When she looked inside she couldn't help but feel gleeful, as the two buns in the bag were her favourite. Cheese buns.

"How did you know?" She asked.

Peeta gave another smile which was so contagious that Katniss smiled as well.

"Call it a baker's hunch."

Katniss thanked him again as she and Gale exited the bakery. As they walked away she looked back. She would definitely visit again. There was something familiar about that boy. Turning to Gale she asked,

"How do you know Peeta, and why doesn't he like the games?"

Gale creased his forehead. He wasn't sure that he wanted to let Katniss know about the darker sides of his past. Still he knew that if she didn't get her answer she would be annoyingly stubborn and persistent with the request.

"Okay I will tell you on one condition. You must swear that you will never tell a soul about it or take any action regarding what I tell you. Promise?"

Katniss swallowed, this must be serious. Gale never made such a request before. Nevertheless, she was too curious and wanted to know.

"I swear I will tell no one and never act on it."

With that the story began.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _It was a few years back before Gale became proficient with the bow. His father died of illness and he needed to take care of his siblings. He had twin brothers Rory and Vick and a baby sister Posy. Their mother Hazell suffered an accident when she was younger and did not have her left leg. As such Gale was responsible for taking care of the family. He did the best he could, yet sometimes he had to resort to thievery. He knew it was wrong, yet he didn't have a choice._

 _One day he was in the Merchants District when the latest lord of the game Thread was visiting. Unlike other winners, Thread was an asshole. He treated everyone poorly and carried around a whip with him. He also had his own personal knight Cray punish people who 'wronged him'. He dressed pompously and was absolutely hated. As he was complaining about the dirtiness of the district he accidently dropped a purse of silver coins. Gale being the only one who noticed picked it up with the intention of returning it. But as he was getting up with the purse in his hand, he felt a blade on his shoulders, pressed against his neck._

" _What are you doing boy with the lord's purse." Growled Cray._

 _Thread turned and saw Gale with the purse and his face became red with anger._

" _What is going on here?"_

 _Cray answered before Gale could explain,_

" _the boy tried stealing from you sir. And I caught him red handed."_

" _No that's not what happened…" Gale tried to defend himself._

" _YOU DARE STEAL FROM ME! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" he yelled._

 _Gale tried again to explain what had happened but before he could even get a word out Cray punch him in the jaw with his armored glove._

 _Gale felt mouth fill with the coppery taste of blood and tried to stand but he was pushed back down by Cray. Cray was a callous individual who was removed from the King's Guard because he was insubordinate. Now he served Thread. Thread approached Gale as a crowd began to form. He had his whip in his hand ready to be used. Gale for the first time had fear in his eyes. These whippings that he heard of left people bedridden for months. If he got hurt like that, he wouldn't be able to take care of his family and they would starve. Gale tried to plead for forgiveness, but Thread did not listen. Gale closed his eyes as the whip came down._

 _SNAP!_

 _Gale waited for the pain that did not come. Instead, he saw two men standing in front of him. A young man around his age with golden yellow hair had caught the whip and had it wrapped around his right arm and an older heavy-set man with dark hair and a full beard. He was holding a rolling pin in his hand. Gale looked at Thread whose face was purple with rage and Cray who looked slightly dazed as if he was hit on the head._

" _You dare interfere with a Lord dealing punishment." Thread spat out. He tried to pull the whip back but the young man with the golden curly hair would not allow it. Gripping tightly so much so that his arm began to bleed. There was an intense stare down between the two as the young man's eyes were fixed on Thread and there was clear hatred in them. The older man watching this play out began to speak,_

" _Listen Thread this has gone too far. You were just a blacksmith not to long ago. You may have the title of lord now, but don't forget where you come from. You are supposed to help others with your new position not abuse it by attacking innocent boys. Remember you were once a Seam boy just like the rest of us. Now this young man was returning your dropped purse when your stupid knight attacked him. So, leave him be. Or so help me God I will beat the daylights out of you I don't care what title you have. Remember I beat you before and I can do it again."_

 _Thread was conflicted, he knew Eric Mellark. Eric was a former knight, he fought in the battles of old. Thread and Cray together would be child's play for Eric even with that wooden rolling pin. He figured he would save face now and retreat. It wasn't worth the hassle, especially if the Royal knights appear. They frowned on doling out personal punishments. Loosening his grip on the whip, Thread resigned._

" _Fine, take the boy, if he tried to take from me again I'll take his hand. Come Cray!"_

 _Leaving his whip, he turned and walked away along with his knight who was still trying to realize what had happened. After they left the young man dropped the whip and his father reached for Gale._

" _Listen boy, you need to find a way to take care of your family. You can't keep this up. Learn a skill that will help you survive."_

 _Gale nodded, he knew that. Turning to the young boy whose arm was bleeding. He whispered,_

" _Thank you for saving my life."_

 _The young boy smiled._

" _Its nothing, besides that guy was an asshole. I'm Peeta by the way. Peeta Mellark, and that's my father Eric"_

 _Gale smiled and spat out some of the blood in his mouth before introducing himself,_

" _It's Gale Hawthorne."_

 _Eric Mellark let out a sad smile._

" _I knew your father, he was a great man. Excellent archer, maybe you have his gifts. I remember he used to have a bow which he kept with them. If you learn how to use it, you could hunt in the forest for food and take care of your family."_

 _Gale was shocked. Eric Mellark knew his father, and more so, he knew something that could help Gale survive. He would find that bow and learn how to hunt. Gale turned to them and replied_

" _Again, thank you so much for this. I owe you guys."_

 _Peeta frowned as his eyes darkened._

" _You don't owe us anything. It is our responsibility to take care of each other. That asshole Thread forgot that and thinks that becomes he won some game he is now better than the people that helped him when he was just a blacksmith. Someone once told me years ago, our status in society is not determined by our titles. It only rises by lifting others."_

 _With that both Peeta and his father stood up and left. As they walked away, Gale could hear them arguing about getting Peeta's arm checked by the healers. Their father and son argument ended with Eric putting Peeta into a playful headlock and dragging him to the healer. Gale stood up after they left and stared into the sky. He made a vow then and there that he would become stronger and learn to take care of his family. He would also return the debt that he owed to the Mellarks. Clenching his fist, began his first step to becoming the man that he would become now._

 _End of Flashback_

* * *

"It wasn't long after I learned how to hunt and began to take care of my family. And I owe it all to Peeta and his late father." Gale ended his story.

Katniss was floored, she knew about Thread. She hated him. The way he won the games was so dishonorable that she begged her father not to let him become a lord. Knowing this about him made her want to tell Haymitch to beat that man within an inch of his life. Despite all those emotions that were swirling in her. The most dominant one was realization. She remembered Peeta and how she knew him.

 **A/N**

 **Sooo what do you think? Starting things slow. I like a bromance between Peeta and Gale. Leave a review let me know what everyone thinks. As I continue the story I am looking forward towards any ideas I could possible squeeze into my story. Till next time. And don't forget. Review, review, review! Please!**


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